WO2006072341A1

WO2006072341A1 - Method and system for operating a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2006072341A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/013206
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ottmar Gehring; Frédéric HOLZMANN; Sascha Paasche; Andreas Schwarzhaupt; Gernot Spiegelberg; Armin Sulzmann
Original assignee: Daimlerchrysler Ag
Priority date: 2004-12-24
Filing date: 2005-12-09
Publication date: 2006-07-13
Also published as: DE102004062504A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle (10) comprising recognition means which are used to recognise objects (12, 12a... 12e) in the surrounding area of a vehicle (10) and which can be implemented, as required, in the driving operation of the vehicle (10). Regular acceleration (?) is determined according to respective objects (12, 12a... 12e, 14a, 14b) and from the distance between the vehicle (10) and the object (12, 12a... 12e, 14a, 14b), said acceleration being dependent on a repulsion force between the vehicle (10) and the object (12, 12a...12e, 14a, 14b). The invention also relates to a system for operating a vehicle (10).

Description

Method and system for operating a motor vehicle

The invention relates to a method and a system for operating a motor vehicle according to the preambles of the independent claims.

Today's motor vehicles include comfort systems that allow control of safety margins, such as the so-called "Adaptive Cruise Control (ADC) system." Road safety systems and the like are also currently in development. "Such systems are based on sensors with which the obj ect relevant to observation , such as vehicles and / or road markings, are identified to the vehicle environment.

From US-A-5, 485, 892 an automatic Fahrsteuerungs- system is known, which automatically detects a guideway and safely leads the vehicle on the guideway. A plurality of control programs are selected depending on the current driving situation in order to guide the vehicle to the situation.

The invention is based on the object, a method and a system for operating a motor vehicle, which can be intervened, if necessary, in the driving of the vehicle to develop further. The object is achieved by the features of the independent claims.

According to the invention, depending on the respective observation-relevant object and on the distance between the vehicle and the object, a regulating acceleration is determined which is dependent on a repulsive force between the vehicle and the object. This makes it possible to control both a course monitoring of the vehicle and evasive maneuvers. Under observation relevant is an object to understand, with a touch or collision should be avoided. This may be an obstacle such as a pedestrian or a vehicle or even a lane marker. The system according to the invention, with which the method can be carried out, can be advantageously connected to a road detection system and / or to an obstacle detection system. The acceleration is preferably changed by addition of forces required for vehicle movement. It can be conveniently defined two types of forces, namely a force for course monitoring and a force for evasive maneuvers. A calculation of the acceleration and / or the forces can be done quickly, so that a sufficiently high dynamics is possible.

Favorable embodiments and advantages of the invention are described in the description and the other claims.

If a repulsive force in the manner of a gravitational potential is derived, which is necessary to avoid contact of the vehicle with the object, a simple formula for a corresponding modeling is available. The term "in the manner of a gravitational potential" is to be understood as meaning that the closer the vehicle comes to the observation-relevant object, the greater the force Trap is the force the repulsive force between vehicle and object.

Preferably, an attractive force is modeled between the vehicle and at least one destination that apparently accelerates the vehicle to the destination. This can be seen in the model by the vehicle moving towards the destination.

Reliable compliance with safety standards is possible if a minimum safety distance is defined for a dynamic object moving in one direction of movement. There are two types of objects, namely dynamic objects and static objects. As dynamic objects, pedestrians and other vehicles are classified. Your positions are recorded. It is expedient to detect the dynamic objects by means of camera and / or radar and / or lidar sensors. Static objects are advantageously detected by means of a camera, which may also be GPS-supported. The objects are expediently made available to the method or the system in the form of a listing, so that, in principle, other respectively suitable methods are also possible for recording. If various functions require such data, of which only a few are detected, then those functions may be disabled for which no data is available. Instead of a listing of the detected or discovered objects, a map with the properties of the acquired, observation-relevant objects can also be displayed.

If the velocity and direction of a dynamic object are known, an optional calculation of the acceleration and / or the forces can be refined, which results in a calculation taking into account possible temporal changes. allows. Static objects are considered to be objects which define a route, such as marking lines, marking devices, traffic signs and the like. Particularly preferred properties are width and position relative to the vehicle. Optionally, further properties such as the number of lanes, their arrangement and a curve can be advantageous.

For dynamic objects, a distinction is made between pedestrians and vehicles. Pedestrians are assigned a circular safety zone with appropriate safety distance. In contrast, vehicles have a more complex safety zone in the form of a rectangle. Regardless of what happens, a safety margin is always defined.

If the orientation of the detected vehicle is known, the safety distance can be optimized by adjusting the safety distance of dynamic objects as required by the situation. In parallel vehicles, a lateral safety distance can be minimized. This allows vehicles to overtake. If the speed of a preceding vehicle is known, the safety distance can be set as a function of the speed. Otherwise, a minimum distance can be specified. If a lateral or frontal impact threatens, the safety distances can be chosen to be larger depending on the situation.

The safety distance may be adjusted depending on an angle between the vehicle and the direction of movement of the object. If the angle between the vehicles is known or defined, a correction factor for the repulsive force between the own vehicle and the detected vehicle forming the object can be set, preferably angle-dependent. Is an orientation of the detected vehicle As is known, an overtaking page, for example on the left, can be forced.

In a further development, an attraction for course monitoring can be determined. This is advantageous if only has to be warned that the own vehicle could get off the road. Conveniently, the roadway may be modeled as a potential well in which the vehicle is moving, with a repulsive force on the vehicle progressively increasing as it approaches a lane edge. The edges of the road can be judged as obstacles to avoid.

In an overtaking maneuver, the potential well on the overtaking side is preferably canceled. The vehicle is then moved through the other side of the route and not obstructed by the edge of the route.

In an advantageous embodiment, vibrations caused by the repulsive force of the potential well are compensated by a regulator connected downstream. Alternatively, vibrations caused by the repulsive force of the potential well can be eliminated by placing a travel target in the center of a lane that attracts the vehicle and prevents it from shifting back to the edge of the potential well.

The system according to the invention provides that, depending on the respective object and on the distance between the vehicle and the object, a regulating acceleration which is dependent on a repulsive force can be determined. The acceleration may lead to an increase in speed or to a decrease in speed. Preferably, the system has an optional automatic or semi-automatic operator input. direction. In semi-automatic operation, this acts as an assistance system in which the driver has overall control of the vehicle. The system does not change the driver requirements unless there is a risk. As soon as there is a danger, a warning can first be issued and then intervened in order, for example, to initiate emergency braking. If the vehicle is on a road and comes close to the roadside without reason at higher speed dangerously, the driver is warned and the steering wheel then blocked in one direction so that the vehicle can not get off the road and then to the center of the road or Lane center can be steered. During automatic operation, the system takes control of the vehicle.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to embodiments described in the drawing. The drawing, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination, which the person skilled in the art expediently also individually consider and summarize meaningful further combinations.

Showing:

1 shows a route with a vehicle and a detected dynamic object,

2 is a view of a user interface of a preferred system,

Fig. 3 a, b, c; a vehicle and registered objects with a circular safety zone (a), with a more complex safety zone during parallel movement (b) and when there is a risk of collision (σ),

4 shows a path of a vehicle between starting point and

Destination with interposed objects and

Fig. 5 a, b; a road course as a plan view (a) and shown as potential well (b). FIG. 1 shows a representation of a route of a track 14 with a vehicle 10 located therein and a dynamic, observation-relevant object 12. The vehicle 10 moves in a direction 11 while the object 12 moves transversely thereto in a direction 13. ^'The Obj ect 12 could be a pedestrian crossing the road 14 or another vehicle which enters the roadway fourteenth The position of obj ect 12 is detected by suitable, not shown detection means, such as video camera, radar and / or lidar sensors in the vehicle 10. The type of object 12 is also detected and evaluated, whether it is a dynamic or static object and a vehicle or a pedestrian. This can conveniently be done by means of image processing. By way of example, it is assumed that the vehicle 10 moves due to an attraction force on a non-illustrated destination and due to a repulsive force of Obj ect 12 keeps away. In this case, the vehicle 10 moves in a model potential field so that the necessary movements of the vehicle 10 can be easily calculated.

FIG. 2 illustrates a scheme of a preferred system with which the method according to the invention can be carried out. The system can be used semi-automatically as an assistant as well as fully automatically for the overall management of the vehicle.

If the system is to be used semi-automatically, the mode 30 is operated for manual operation, which includes Modii 31 (disable) and 32 (emergency brake) Overall control of his vehicle not the driver requirements, if there is no danger. As soon as a hazard occurs that is appropriately detected and evaluated, the system first has the option of an audible and / or visual and / or haptic warning and can then intervene to initiate emergency braking (mode 32). If the vehicle is on a road and comes excessively dangerously close to the lane, the driver is warned and the steering wheel is then blocked in one direction, so that the vehicle can not get off the road and then steered towards the lane means.

When the system is fully automatic according to mode 40 (enable ^w ), the driver is no longer in control of his vehicle. He can only enter the destination to be approached, and the system takes over the task in his place. The destination may be defined, for example, by information provided by a telematics system or in any other suitable manner. There are two different options.

If the road is not defined, the mode is 41 ("off road") .The system must control the avoidance of obstacles, ie detected objects, preferably in such a way that the vehicle is moved as little as possible, on the one hand for reasons of stability and on the other hand to prevent one from departing from an existing route that is undefined.

For a defined road layout (module 42, "on road"), the control is somewhat more complicated to keep the vehicle in the middle of the road or the middle of the lane, as is the case with module 43 ("lane following"). The system can either only use the lateral control for course monitoring. or take care of avoiding obstacles. The first mode 43 is a comfort system in which the driver still has to brake himself in case of problems. In the second case (mode 44), the system also controls the longitudinal dynamics of the vehicle and brakes when needed (mode 45, "way keeping"). If there is not enough space to brake and the lane can be changed, the system automatically switches to one Emergency mode 46 ("way changing") and changes the lane to have more space available.

In all cases it is a matter of determining a regulating acceleration γ. This acceleration γ depends on the following basic equation of a single factor, namely the force F, which is known:

m

where m is the mass of the vehicle.

According to the invention, a repulsive force F 1 is defined as a function of the respective detected object and in particular of the distance d to the own vehicle, the index i being an object in each case:

This force F ^ (d) thus varies in the following way:

F = A - Iβ, d ⁿ that is, F equals the minimum of A / d ⁿ or B, where A, B (allowable maximum) and n represent functions that depend on the nature of the object and its properties. The closer an object is to the vehicle, the higher the force F ^ (d) is to brake the vehicle and distract it from its course.

Furthermore, an attraction force defined by the travel destination to which the vehicle is moving may be determined. ^• In addition, a power for course monitoring can be defined. These forces are not always necessary, depending on which functionality is to be used. Their calculation can therefore be stopped or carried out if necessary.

The destination attracts the vehicle so that it moves toward it. In order to prevent the force of attraction from increasing as the vehicle approaches its destination, analogous to the above equation, a fictitious target is calculated for each such calculation, giving a direction parallel to the route and a distance at which the vehicle is traveling it is just the forces that can be compensated for by contact with the road.

There is a fundamental difference between such dynamic objects that represent pedestrians and vehicles that represent vehicles. This is outlined in FIGS. 3a-3c. A repulsive force 21 is symbolized by an arrow on the vehicle 10. A pedestrian must have a circular safety zone with a safety distance of 20 around. A favorable safety distance is at least 1 m (FIG. 3a). The vehicle 10 moves away from the object 12 in order to avoid object contact, which is indicated by a dashed line. In contrast, the Si safety zone with a safety margin of 20 for vehicles more complex. The security zone is rectangular (Figures 3b, 3c). If the own vehicle 10 and the vehicle-trained object 12 move in parallel, the required lateral safety distance 20 is minimal. As a result, vehicle 10 and object 12 can overtake each other (FIG. 3b). On the other hand, the distance to a preceding vehicle 12 formed as a vehicle and the own vehicle 10 depends on the speed of the object 12, if this is known, otherwise a fixed value, preferably a few meters, in particular 5 m can be set. Thus legally prescribed safety distances can be safely adhered to. However, if a lateral or frontal impact is possible in the vehicles 10, 12 (Figure 3c), the safety distances 20 must be larger and preferably at least 3 m. A repulsive force correction factor may be defined which depends on an angle between the vehicles 10, 12, if such an angle is defined.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, local potential minima may occur when an object 12 is located entirely between the vehicle 10 and the destination 26. In this case, the potential of the object 12 or a plurality of such objects 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, which are located between a starting point 25 and the destination 26, shifted so far that it is the vehicle 10 on its way 27 between starting point 25 and destination 26 pushes in a particular direction. If the orientation of the object 12 is known, an overtaking page can be forced. The page is chosen so that the designed as a vehicle object 12 is overtaken left. The system can be modified for use in the Anglo-Saxon area so that object 12 can be overtaken on the right. If only, preferably during a course monitoring, it is to be warned that a vehicle 10 is leaving its roadway 14, edges of the roadway 14 can be regarded as obstacles forming objects 14a, 14b, which are to be avoided. These objects 14a, 14b accordingly move the vehicle 10 back onto the roadway 14 in the direction of the center of the roadway.

If the vehicle 10 is to be adjusted to the center of the road, it is expedient to view the roadway 14 as a potential well 18, as is outlined in FIGS. 5a, 5b.

The static objects 14a, 14b designed as roadway edges are represented as flanks 17, 18 of the potential well; the width 15 of the roadway 14 corresponds to the width 15 of the potential well. In the middle of the potential well 16, the force is zero. By a progressive increase of the repulsive force of the flanks 17, 18 when approaching the vehicle 10 is slowly pushed inwards to the potential minimum.

When the vehicle 10 has to change lane, the potential well 16 on the corresponding side is canceled. The vehicle 10 is then displaced by the other side of the route, that is about an opposite roadside on the side of the oncoming traffic and not obstructed by the edge 14 a or 14 b. Appropriately, a favorable radius for a Ausscheren and a shearing of the vehicle 10 is specified.

A caused by the potential well 16 vibration effect of the vehicle 10 from one edge 17, 18 of the potential well 16 to the other can be prevented by a subsequently arranged controller, which compensates the vibrations allows. An alternative approach is to use an artificial ride target in the middle of the lane 14c forming the lane 14c, which will attract the vehicle 10 and prevent it from shifting back to the lane edge.

Claims

claims

1. A method for operating a vehicle (10) with detection means for detecting observation-relevant objects (12, 12a ... 12e) in the environment of the vehicle (10), which can if necessary be intervened in a steering operation of the vehicle (10) in that, depending on the respective object (12, 12a ... 12e, 14a, 14b) and on a distance between vehicle (10) and object (12, 12a ... 12e, 14a, 14b), a regulating acceleration ( γ) depending on a modeled repulsive force between the vehicle (10) and the object (12, 12a ... 12e, 14a, 14b).

A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the repulsive force is derived in the manner of a gravitational potential necessary to allow contact of the vehicle (10) with the object (12, 12a ... 12e, 14a, 14b) avoid.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that between the vehicle (10) and at least one destination (26) an attractive force is modeled, the apparently accelerates the vehicle (10) to the destination (26).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for a dynamic, in a direction of movement movable object (12, 12a ... 12e), a minimum safety distance (20) is defined.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the safety distance (20) is adjusted depending on the situation.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the safety distance (20) depending on an angle between the vehicle (10) and the direction of movement of the obj ects (12, 12a ... 12e) is set.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an attraction for course monitoring is determined.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a roadway (14) with roadway edges (14a, 14b) as a potential well (16) is modeled in which the vehicle (10) moves, wherein a repulsive force on the vehicle ( 10) progressively increases as it approaches a lane edge (14a, 14b).

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that in an overtaking maneuver of the potential well (16) is canceled on the passing side.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that by the repulsive force of the potential well (16) caused vibrations are compensated by a downstream regulator.

11. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that by the repulsive force of the potential well (16) caused vibrations are eliminated by a destination (26) in the middle of a lane (14 c) is placed.

12. System for operating a vehicle (10) with recognition means for recognizing observation-relevant objects

(12, 12a ... 12e) in the vicinity of the vehicle (10), wherein, if necessary, in a steering operation of the vehicle (10) is tangible, characterized in that depending on the respective object (12, 12a ... 12e, 14a, 14b) and from the distance between the vehicle (10) and object (12, 12a ... 12e, 14a, 14b) a regulatory acceleration (γ) is determined, which is dependent on a repulsive force.

13. System according to claim 12, characterized by an optional automatic or semi-automatic operating device.